#30 – Why the **** did you move me into a foreclosure? (said by Grunt Labor to myself the first morning we woke up in our now beloved rancher)
#33 – Sweet Nurse Renee in the NICU teaches Grunt Labor how to change a diaper and feed the kid, while I was doped up on morphine from the emergency c-section that was just like a scene straight from Grey’s Anatomy.
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Downstairs, in the Grunt Labor cave, there is a box.
A box that isn’t that pretty.
Not that big.
But, its heavy for its size.
And within that box are rocks.
Small rocks with numbers written on them in black Sharpie.
Numbers that mean absolutely nothing to anyone else.
But absolutely everything to us.
#22 – “Oh s**t, its the wrong end of Rhode Island.”
While on a trip to D.C. Grunt Labor and I ended up on the wrong end of the street our hotel was on, the very far away wrong end.
Luckily, a cab driver noticed that we were obviously lost and swerved over to the sidewalk and picked us up like nobody’s business.
#2– How do you get out of something bad? You start a pep club.
Seriously. Starting a pep club was the best decision I ever made while teaching or really in my entire life. That’s a really good story too that I’ll save for another day.
#35 – The great parental breakdown of 2012
Mama leaves us alone with the newly born kid for the first time. The kid has a slightly bloody belly button / stump where the umbilical cord was.
It all ends in three frantic calls to the doctor, where the result is that the kid is perfectly fine, but the parents are left bawling like five year olds and crying for Mama to come back and help us.
It’s our version of The Notebook.
Our love story. Our life.
#7 – The Jenna -N- Andy pumpkin.
Its baffling how one little pumpkin can cause so much drama that nearly results in bar room brawls. (I’ll tell you all about it…..someday soon…..)
#27 – “He doesn’t speak English.”
These words were the first words uttered to me by Grunt Labor when I met him at the altar on our wedding day.
No “You look beautiful” or “I love you.”
At our destination wedding in the Dominican, the priest did not speak English. Instead of “I do,” we said “Si.” And then I came home and translated our marriage certificate from Spanish to English with the help of Google and somehow managed to get it notarized in the states.
#25 – And then there were 2……no, wait, 4.
Grunt Labor and I were married in June. In August of the same year, we got two new additions in our house – Nick and Brandon. I guess that’s the closest I’ll ever get to college dorm living.
I still beg Brandon to move back in with us. He would be a fab nanny. Nick is welcome too, but he can be messy. He makes up for it by bringing me beer, though.
Here’s to whatever 2014 will add to the memory rocks.
With a trip to Cancun already booked and Garth Brooks announcing he’s going back on tour – there are many more adventures to be had.
Why not start your own memory rocks this year? Or do you already have your own version of memory rocks?
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This is such a neat idea, Jenna! I may have to go dig some rocks out of my backyard…
Thanks! If you go dig rocks out of your backyard, that should totally be a memory rock in itself! I am lazy and just buy a bag of decorative rocks from a store! haha!
Love this idea! And all of the memories you mentioned are hilarious!!! Plus I can totally relate to the panic that sets in when all help has left and you’re alone with a newborn baby for the first time. It’s terrifying!
So terrifying, Erin!! haha! Thanks, gal! Luckily, we powered through!
I love this! One question…where/how do you keep the list of what each rock is for?
Okay, two. Do you have a box for each year, or add to it every year?
Thanks, Fara! I guess I forgot to put that in the post – I keep just a handwritten list in the box itself folded up. Right now, we just have one box that we’ve had since 2009, but I’m sure we will have to get more boxes through the years.
Such a great idea! I love being able to look back on something that seems so serious at the time and being able to laugh about it!
Yes, Brittany, me too! While I was writing this post, my husband and I were totally laughing about most of the rocks! It was so much fun!
Hey gal, you were a very pretty blonde. Which is the real you? Whichever way you look fantastic. Your dress is gorgeous for your wedding. Yeah having a baby is not easy, and being alone with said baby is really not easy. Bless your hearts,
I went to San Diego when our daughter had her first baby who was a week old when I got there. I had offered to go but Michelle had said no they’d be fine. Not quite. Baby was only about 3 days old when Michelle called to say please can you come to help? Of course but how will I get there now? I had a ride before but cancelled it when she said no. We were living in MT then so I hopped on a plane to San Diego. They tried to bump me off in Salt Lake, I told them no and why. Our daughter/son in law lived out quite a distance from San Diego airport. They’d have been waiting with a week old baby. Luckily I got there on time.
I was lucky in that I could stay as long as needed so was there for a month. Michelle and Jeff would get really irritated at me when I’d walk Delainey and she’d stop crying. When I held her she stopped crying, during her bath, you name it. I tried to explain but Michelle doesn’t like things not to go as she thinks they should, (she’s even worse now at 43), lol They had one more child, a girl 3 yrs. later. She still asks me how in heck I had 3 kids in 4 yrs. then had her at almost 30 with 2nd. hubs.
Being a parent with first child is not something to sneeze at, now they have all kinds of classes people can go to for preparation, smart idea. Your rocks are hilarious and meaningful to you two, sounds like fun to me. Don’t run out of rocks ok? Happy weekend
Haha! We will try not to run out! I am naturally a brunette – I got tired of having to go to the salon and drop a ton of money every month on coloring my hair! Thanks for such a sweet compliment though!
What a great tradition!!
Thanks, Lo! We love it!
How do you keep track of what each one refers to? This is a brilliant idea though. Do you pick up rocks when you are at a memory?
We keep a piece of paper that tells us what each number stands for in the box! Usually, every month or so, we just get out the box and make new rocks that have happened! Thanks!
What a cool idea!
Thanks so much, Emily!
Jenna, I think that this is my favorite post from you. Your stories are as adorable and fun as you are! What a super smart to keep track of them all. As a old lady, I can tell you that while you think you will remember every one of those precious references, you will not. The memory making picks up speed exponentially with the toddler, school age and teen years. You will be so happy to have that box of rocks to look back to…and laugh! 🙂
Honey, I can’t remember stuff now – I knew I had to have some way to remember it! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
I love your idea! I wish I would have thought of numbering them and keeping a list. We have a jar of rocks we keep in our bedroom. Every place we go or event that we go to we pick up a rock from that place and put it in the jar. We lay in bed sometimes and talk about the rocks in the jar. We have been doing this for 8 years. When we go somewhere it’s a little adventure for us to find the “perfect” rock to put in.
Oh, that is such a cool idea, Kimberly!! I am going to have to start looking for rocks when we go somewhere now and then number them – love it! Thanks, gal!
Fantastically fabulous idea. Babies do get easier, my four year old would have to be my favourite person in the world. He is so much fun, inspiring, inquisitive, and the view of the world through his eyes continually astounds and delights me. I will miss him so badly when he goes to school. You are amazingly gorgeous too. Your grunt is very lucky. I love this idea. I was confused at first as I couldn’t see how they all fit together, but towards the end of the post I worked it out. Stay fabulous and I wish you enough.
Thanks, Amanda! You give me something to look forward to! I love spending time with my little girl, but I’m also at that stage where I just need her to talk so I can figure out what’s going on! And maintain a little sanity!
What a great tradition to have started!!
Thanks for sharing this at Project Inspire{d} Jenna!
Hope your week is extraordinary!!
p.s. when I saw this post I thought of you immediately….http://bit.ly/1aHJojo
Thanks, Diane! We love it! And yes- I saw that post at the Inspired Room this morning and drooled the entire time I was reading it! I love Sara Richardson and I LOVE her kitchen!
Ok, I know I’m way late reading this, I’ve been going through my inbox this weekend to clean up old unread emails. Of course, I’m too anal to just delete, too scared of missing out on something!
What a great idea this is! But oh girl, you HAVE to tell us the pumpkin story VERY soon. Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks, Cathy! Oh, the pumpkin story – it is such a good one – maybe I will have to share it sooner than later…..
I love reading your random blogs so much. The first time I read when you called him “grunt labor,” I had to re-read it to make sure I read it correctly! Then I ROLF! Unbelievable! This idea is awesome! I would love to implement it in our lives too! Here’s to “the thin in my tile!” and “grunt labor,” Happy Holidays, and many more numbers! And a bright new year!
Thank you so much, Leialoha! That is awesome to hear! I hope you had a great Christmas! Cheers to the new year!